Something he still seems to believe in, though maybe not quite so confidently. “It goes in either direction,” Gyllenhaal now says. “I think it’s important for every man to find the right woman and every woman to find the right man.

You can understand why Gyllenhaal is in a reflective mood when it comes to relationships, not only is he fresh from a split with girlfriend Reese Witherspoon, but his parents finalized their divorce last year after 29 years of marriage. PHOTOS: Jake in Prince of Persia

Gyllenhaal says break-ups and divorce can “bring out the truth and honesty in a relationship, and that’s greatly relieving to everyone — that people can kind of move and change and grow. And so in some ways, as much pain as there is, there’s also a positive outlook on it. And thinking, you know, some relationships last a lifetime, and some relationships don’t.”

But thankfully his parents’ split has jaded his future outlook on love and relationships, “I think it takes a lot of courage for my parents to make the decision that they made, and I trust both of them and their outlook on life,” he says. “They’re wonderful parents to me and my sister.

“I think any successful marriage, even if it hasn’t lasted for a lifetime, will create a sense of an ideal. But I don’t have a fantasy. There’s not a fantasy. I know it’s messy, is what I want to say.”

“Family … my family, you know … I love them …” he adds. “Whatever they do, whatever they are … I love them…”